Dallas: The Price You Pay Recap

We were off to a great start on the premiere of “Dallas.” Well, for the viewers anyway. Plotting and scheming were rampant on Southfork. On top of that, Bobby Ewing learned he has cancer and he decided to sell Southfork. His son, Christopher got married to Rebecca, although he still has a thing for the cook’s daughter, Elena. All John Ross wants is the Ewing empire, and he’s so ruthless, he’s willing to screw his own father. But that’s not going to happen to the J.R. we know and love, is it?

“The Price You Pay” (6/20/12) opens with J.R. and John Ross getting the royal spa treatment and when J.R. is done, he goes over to shave John Ross with a straight razor while he has a towel over his eyes. J.R. relates that he loved his daddy, Jock, and he respected his daddy, but most importantly, he says, as he removes the towel from John Ross’ eyes, he feared his daddy. J. R. says he knows that “Marta is not Marta.” He asks John Ross:

“Were you gonna cut your daddy out of 2 billion barrels of oil?” ~ J.R. Ewing

John Ross doesn’t bother to deny that he thought he could do it. J.R. says he understands why and asks for a chance to teach his son everything Jock taught him. “I won’t let you down this time,” he says, offering his hand. After a huge pregnant pause, John Ross accepts. They discuss the Mitch Lobell problem and J.R. informs John Ross that Mitch’s weak spot is his son, who killed a woman driving drunk years ago. They paid a witness to keep her mouth shut. He instructs John Ross to find her. The oil business, he says, is run on drilling mud and information. And evidently, how you use that information to bring people to their knees.

Christopher’s bride is learning to shoot with Bobby’s wife, Ann. Her brother, Tommy, shows up after Ann leaves and give her a flash drive to install a program on Christopher’s computer. Rebecca doesn’t want to do it, but Tommy informs her that her husband has been spending a lot of time with Elena. “It’s sad those two lovebirds couldn’t make it work,” he says pointedly. Rebecca says Christopher chose the best woman and Tommy snorts that he’s in love with a lie.

J.R. tells the fake Marta “I’m gonna give you a pass on trying to screw me — once. But if I get the feeling you’re double-dealing me again, that is a risk you do not want to take.” She takes some medication out of her purse after he leaves and pops a few pills. Just don’t accept any drinks from her, J.R.

Bobby’s tumor has been removed but the doctor is afraid of the possibility of recurrence. The treatment has scary side effects, like liver damage and even heart failure. Bobby decides to put the sale of Southfork on hold indefinitely, and John Ross finds that out right after he pays Mitch Lobell, albeit less money than was demanded.

In exchange for a blonde and a bone-in ribeye, a patient at the hospital where J.R.’s being treated for depression plays doctor. He calls Bobby and asks him to let J.R. move back to Southfork. Ann thinks it might be fun.

“Oh yeah, it’ll be great having a rattlesnake in the house.” ~ Bobby Ewing

Christopher and Elena are trying to solve the tsunami problem. Christopher figures out the key: liquid carbon dioxide. They hug and Rebecca calls and invites Elena to lunch.

Cliff Barnes is visiting with Bobby when J.R. arrives home. Cliff wants to buy Southfork. The years have done nothing to soften his hatred for J.R. and vice versa. “If you are real nice,” Cliff tells J.R., “maybe Bobby will let you spend the rest of your miserable days right here on Southfork.” J.R. figures he won’t be the first to go: “I’ll be there when they put you in the ground, Barnes. Listen close, I’ll be the one dancing on the dirt overhead.” Bobby doesn’t want to hear J.R.’s conspiracy theories and takes him fishing.

Rebecca tells Elena how threatened she feels by her, knowing she was once engaged to Christopher. Elena points out that Christopher chose her. Rebecca wants to be friends. Elena accepts and gives her the lowdown on Christopher’s early years. A scary man knocks on the door and informs them he is there to take them to Cliff Barnes for dinner. And they go with him. LOL. We’d be like, hell no. Christopher does not trust his uncle, (who is his adoptive mother Pamela’s brother). We don’t trust his valet. Cliff claims he wants to invest in the gas hyrdrate project and the valet opens a briefcase with a million dollars in cash. Christopher refuses because he believes Cliff’s only motive is to have one up on the Ewings, but his uncle has a final warning.

You are never gonna be one of them, Christopher. And don’t let them destroy you like they did Pam. ~ Cliff Barnes

J.R. hands John Ross a book and tells him it’s time to get his hands dirty. It contains all his momma’s secret and he wants John Ross to use it to get Southfork back. J.R. tells his son the truest thing his daddy ever told him. “Nobody gives you power. Real power is something you take.” This is actually something that Jock said to Bobby in front of J.R. in the heat of an argument.

While J.R. and John Ross set up a phony argument to push Bobby into selling Southfork. Christopher finds out that Bobby is signing the papers and fumes that Bobby doesn’t think he can beat John Ross. He demands that Bobby let him be a man. Bobby reveals he has cancer and that infuriates Christopher more. Elena is there to pick up the pieces. Tommy is there to record their embrace and email it to Rebecca. She puts the spyware on the desk right by Christopher’s computer but when he comes back, Christopher tells her what happened and assures her that she is the one he loves. She throws the flash drive in the garbage.

Mitch Lobell is getting greedier by the minute. Now he wants 5 million. Ann tells Bobby that J.R. is behind John Ross getting his hands on Miss Ellie’s diary, but Bobby takes it with a grain of salt – that’s how J.R. is and how he will always be.

John Ross learns from his investigator that the witness to Lobell’s son’s accident has been dead for 10 years. He saw the gravestone. Guess John Ross won’t be getting anyone to impersonate the witness. But there’s good news, too. The investigator found out who sent that Dear Jane e-mail to Elena. Turns out John Ross was telling the truth, it wasn’t him. Christopher was telling the truth, too. It was Rebecca! Oh dear!

The preview shows John Ross using that information to blackmail Rebecca. Really, John Ross? The first thing we would have done is tell Elena.

Dallas Season 1 Episodes: 1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5 : 6 : 7 : 8 : 9 : 10